Life's Gifts
by MaiiKyuu
Summary: Over the course of our years, each stage in life brings its own special meaning.
1. Greetings

**Hey guys! Guess what? I'm ba~ack**

 **Sort of. Luckily, I know what this is going to be about. (Hopefully) It'll probably be only 5 chapters, so... Do stick around!  
I wonder why they removed the genderbend characters? Mikuo is 'unknown 60' now...**

 **And it doesn't really seem like there's anything or anyone to return to... Maybe I'll just try some other sites.**

* * *

 **First**

Apart from the screaming and yelling of the boys on the other end of the field, it was peaceful. Not very quiet, but peaceful all the same.

Rearranging the folds of her skirt she seated herself down in front of a large tree, spreading out sheets of paper on the grass before her and setting down her box of crayons. She finally had a bit of time to herself now, at least enough time to complete this piece of art. She smoothed out the paper and picked up a crayon, beginning to colour the spots she had missed previously.

For that moment, she was completely concentrated on her drawing, completely oblivious to the outside world.

There was a loud _bang!_ as a football hit the tree next to her, bouncing off the trunk and rolling onto the grass.

She stared at it, and then looked up towards where it had come from - a tousled-haired boy who was standing at the far end of the field, waving at her. Looking at him for a second or so, she then proceeded to pick up all her papers and crayons and move away.

Smoothing the paper out again, she looked at the drawing of the fairy in pastel hues, long hair and a dress made of pink flower petals. She was especially satisfied with the wings, carefully detailed with as much concentration a six-year old could muster, inking the delicate curves and patterns of the wings with the yellow glitter pen. The rest of the body had been colored, a little less detailed, with crayons. At the moment, she was simply looking over her art, filling in the smaller details, setting in a few final adjustments. She was in the middle of adding specks of gold to the already vibrant pools of honey-colored eyes when a shadow fell over her, and the crayon stopped moving.

"That's pretty." A voice hummed, and she looked up, seeing a boy about her age bent over her. "Did you draw that?" He pointed at the fairy.

She nodded slightly and remained silent for a bit, hoping that if she stayed quiet for long enough, the boy would lose interest and wander away with the short attention span most boys she'd met had. Sooner or later he'd take the ball he'd nearly bashed her with and move away. She stared meekly at the golden spots on the paper, tinged slightly darker with the boy's shadow over them. Eventually, she realized he wasn't going to move.

"Yes," she sighed finally, shielding the fairy's face with her hand, suddenly embarrassed by the quality of her art.

"It's nice." He sat down next to her, setting his mud-stained football to the side. His hair was disheveled and there were streaks of dirt on his face and clothes. "Can I draw too?"

"…Okay." She swallowed, and he reached for a piece of paper, making sure not to lean over her or get in her way. With the paper in hand, he then proceeded to sketch out his drawing, humming softly. Watching him for a moment, satisfied that he wasn't secretly trying to make fun of her, she turned back to her drawing and filled in the last few golden spots.

The two children, each absorbed in their own work of art, sat and colored with only each other for company. Furtively, she enjoyed it – even if he was a boy with leaves in his hair and grubby clothes (she wondered how he had become that dirty from just playing football in the first place), she was thrilled that someone bothered to sit next to her and draw, and even compliment her art of all things. It was a rare thing for her, as she had precious time to work on art like this or people who would be kind enough to be with her. The boys from earlier were no longer screaming, it was just the humming of the boy in front of her now, the sound of crayon on paper, and birds chirping in the distance.

For her, it was comforting.

"I'm done."

She looked up from her finished drawing, towards the boy who was now holding up his piece of paper for her to see. It depicted a crudely but happily drawn picture of a princess with long shimmering hair. Next to her stood a familiar-looking knight in armor. She raised her eyebrows in surprise. She hadn't expected a boy to draw a princess, of all things. A knight or a dragon, maybe, but not a princess alongside it.

"Do you like it?" He asked, sounding a little embarrassed.

She smiled, reaching out to touch the princess's face. "I do."

"Good." He put the paper down, looking rather uncomfortable. "I… I'm sorry. I couldn't get your eyes right. I tried my best…"

"Huh?" She started in surprise, looking up to his face, which she realized had then turned pink, then back down to the paper, now apprehending why both characters looked familiar. "Is that… Me?" She asked, pointing towards the princess.

He nodded, eyes focused completely on the pink hues of the castle background.

Her face was about the same shade. For a minute, neither said anything before the boy stood up, pushing the paper into her face. "This is for you!" He blurted, turning on his heel and sprinting off across the field, leaving his drawing, football, and a very confused girl behind.

She looked down at the drawing. At the bottom of the paper, in a wobbly scrawl, was signed the name "Mikuo".

Miku smiled.


	2. Friendship

**I really have nothing to say here, so, have fun. Just waiting to get in on Ao3, heh.  
Oh wait. Yeah it's totally normal if you have a weirdly similar name as someone else. Yep. Normal.**

* * *

 **Second**

Miku breathed out as her aching arms dropped the last stack of heavy books onto the table, then proceeded to wipe her hands on her skirt. It had been a long school day. She usually stayed back after school occasionally to clean the classroom and organize books, and after the bothersome task she would look forward to returning to a hot dinner at home.

She looked at the clock on the wall. It was already 5.40 pm, later than she usually finished. Mrs. Clara had already left, leaving the keys to the classroom in her responsibility. Gathering her belongings, she slid the door shut and locked it, waving to the friendly janitor mopping the floor as she plodded down the hallway.

If she didn't have anything after school, her mother would usually pick her up and drop her off at home before heading back to work and then returning home just before dinner. But on quiet days like these, when the twelve-year old girl was returning home late, she walked back, whistling to herself. Today her mother didn't have much work to do and was probably only busy getting dinner ready. Her house wasn't far from the school, and at this time of the day everybody was heading back from work, so when turning into the main road she was greeted with the familiar sight of people bustling down the sidewalk. After weeks and months she had eventually gotten to know the people that took the same street as her, waving and smiling whenever she recognized them. It was probably a dangerous habit, but this part of the neighborhood was quiet.

Miku stopped. A scent had caught her nose, and instinctively she headed towards it. It led her towards a bakery, and she pressed her face against the glass, looking through the frosted windows. Long loaves of bread, wrapped in crinkly brown paper were stacked in a reed basket. Muffins dotted with rainbow sprinkles lay arranged neatly on shelves, frosted cookies gleaming next to them. Turning her gaze, she caught sight of donuts in the glass cases, each frosted with different colors, and then cakes, pastries, bread, filling each counter and corner, above tabletops and shelves, bottles of sprinkles and packets of sugar, each in vibrant colors stacked neatly against one another. Her mouth watered.

 _Just one snack wouldn't hurt, right?_

As she turned towards the door, something else caught her eye – instead of the standard browns and whites she had seen inside, a flash of blue caught her eyes. And then – they looked away, and for a moment she was tempted to tell herself she had been mistaken. She pushed open the door of the shop and hustled inside, looking through the rows of glazed donuts and tarts as the cashier smiled warmly.

"Might I recommend the chocolate?"

Miku started, turning around so harshly that her hair flew in a circle around her. "Oh!" She gasped, the blue eyes that had caught earlier now looking into hers. "Um-"

"Also, might I recommend not turning around so quickly." Mikuo laughed, rubbing his cheek. "Ow, your hair really stings."

"Oh – I-I'm sorry-" she pursed her lips worriedly.

Mikuo… She had seen him around, but only very rarely. In a span of five years, one wouldn't expect the same two children to even see each other again, but in their neighborhood, it wasn't too unlikely. She'd seen him once or twice, every time taller than the last within the past year. The first time they met was when they were six, she was in the field behind her school compound, and he had been playing football in one corner before finding his way towards her. They never talked after that, only exchanged waves and smiles whenever one saw the other.

Secretly, the second time she had seen him, a couple years after their first encounter, Miku had been thrilled. She was so happy that he still lived nearby. Yet even then, they had never actually talked, and hearing his voice now…

"Hey?"

"Huh?" She snapped out of her daze, realizing she had drifted off, reminiscing while he was talking. She made a mental note to get herself out of that habit. It had been happening way too often lately.

He smiled. "You know, I don't think you told me your name. I hope you remember mine."

"Nope, your writing was terrible."

Mikuo pulled a face.

"Just kidding." She grinned. "Hello, Mikuo. I'm her royal highness, Miku!"

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, princess. Which donut do you want?"

Miku shrugged. "I dunno. They all look nice." She turned back to the case, eyes searching. Honestly, she'd have loved to eat all of them, but that probably wasn't a good idea. And she had to make her choice quickly, because, one, she didn't want to keep him waiting - he had asked her after all - and two, she didn't want to keep her mother waiting either, she usually expected Miku back right after school.

Mikuo pointed at a chocolate-glazed donut. "That one's good."

Miku leaned forward, squinting at the sign. _Black Jack._ _Hmm, that does look pretty good_. She looked at the one next to it, it was almost identical except it was more a round pastry rather than a donut, lacking the hole in the middle. _Coco Loco._

"Aw, man, these all look good," Miku whined as her eyes looked over the rest of the donuts, pink frosting, creamy white patterns and swirls, lines of colourful syrup, everything just looked too good. "I can't decide."

The cashier waved for her attention. "Well, what's your favorite flavor?"

"Umm," Miku hesitated, as she shifted under the gaze of two pairs of eyes. She never did well under the gaze of others, especially if they were expecting something of her, no matter if it was something as trivial as choosing what to eat. "Well, he's right, I _do_ like chocolate... And cheese. But I like vanilla, too."

"How about the tiramisu?" The cashier suggested, gesturing towards a chocolate-dusted donut. "The chocolate iced glazed is also a good choice."

Sensing her discomfort, Mikuo stepped in. "We'll take both." He said quickly, as the cashier retrieved the donuts from the case and bagged them.

Miku waited and watched as Mikuo payed, then handed the paper bag to her. "I-I'll pay you back," she said quickly, turning to reach her purse from her schoolbag, but Mikuo held up his hands.

"It's fine! Mom gave me extra allowance today so I thought I'd use it to be good." He smiled. "Well, actually, I was planning to use it for the arcade, but I think this would make her happier."

"Oh... Thanks." Miku smiled shyly, accepting the bag from him. The two children headed out of the shop and lingered there for a moment longer, Mikuo watching the cars speed by with his hands behind his back and Miku nibbling on her donuts.

Finally, Mikuo broke the silence. "Do you go to Akademi?" He asked, not turning his head but just glancing towards her.

Miku swallowed, and nodded. The school she attended was the only one in town that served to both primary and secondary students, whereas the others ended after year 6. Once the students had graduated from there, their first choice would usually be Akademi, or they'd have to drive a little further out if they had a different choice in mind.

"I might go there, next time." Mikuo said, turning his gaze away from her and back to the busy street. "Mom doesn't want to drive too far out of town and it looks nice."

"Oh," was all Miku could think of to reply. She hesitated, then asked, "where do you go to now?"

"Hmm, I go to Yasogami." He replied. "It's okay, I guess, but the students there are kind of weird."

Miku stopped chewing. "Like what?"

He shrugged. "Not all of them. But some of the kids in my class think they're, like, the hero in a story or something. It's not really bad."

"Oh..." Miku looked down to the pavement, then quickly snapped her head back up. "Ah! Wait! I should have been home by now. I-I'm sorry, Mikuo, uh, I have to go now... Thank you!" She hastily stuffed the half-eaten donut back into the bag and wiped her hands on her skirt before turning away.

"Oh! Bye!" Mikuo called in surprise as Miku began to run off, waving to her. "Wait, Miku! C-Can we talk again?"

"Sure!" Miku yelled as the distance between them grew, and stopped before she turned a corner into the housing area, where he would be lost from view. "I always take this road! See you!" She turned away, and then she was gone.

Mikuo smiled, lowering his hand before clutching the straps of his backpack. Now he had someone to talk to while he waited in the bakery after school for his mother to fetch him. Miku was a friend now.

How strange, he thought, as he saw his mother's car pull up on the road in front of him. That it was so easy to make friends with someone you'd only just met or never talked to, easier than the ones you saw five times a week.

Mikuo clambered into the car and ignored his mother's questions of how happy he looked that particular day.

* * *

 **I totally didn't google types of donuts just to write this...**

 **Also, two references. Notice them?**


	3. Kiss

**oofhfs after forever i decide to update this  
** **ok well I already posted it on ao3 a while back but anyway**

 **this is really lo N G lmao im sorry I actually didn't plan this out at all**

* * *

 **Third**

"Mikuo!"

The sight of Miku smiling and waving to him in the distance nearly caused him to teeter and fall off his bike, but he managed to steady himself and cycle up to where she was waiting for him.

Finally he was able to stop where she stood, out of breath and hair matted with sweat.

"Sorry I'm late!" Mikuo said, stopping his bicycle and leaning it against the railing as he carefully smoothed his hair down. As Mikuo unzipped his backpack to fish out his water bottle, he looked over at Miku, now leaning against the railing next to him, a soft smile upon her features. He dubiously looked away and took a sip from him bottle. "Did you wait long?"

"Just 10 minutes, it's alright." Miku answered, still smiling at him in a way that made him want to melt. It was just that to him she seemed indescribably pretty - even angelic - the way she moved, talked, laughed, everything.

They'd been friends since young, but a part of Mikuo still wondered why she had chosen to remain close to him, even after he'd moved away from her. He'd been wanting to go to the same high school Miku went to, since it was closer and more, how to put it, exquisite, and that's what he thought his mother wanted to. But in a sudden change of plans, he found himself enrolled at a much different high school, situated rather far from Akademi. Since his mother was often busy, Mikuo usually cycled home, but he never forgot to stop by the crossroads where Miku would patiently wait for him, on her way home after school. He couldn't quite remember when they had decided to do this or why he agreed to take a longer route in order to see her, but he knew that he was happy spending time with Miku, and hopefully the same for her.

"How was school?"

"Mm..." Mikuo took another sip from his bottle before putting it back into his bag. "Fine, I guess. Same as usual. What about you?"

"Another regular school day, too. The principal mentioned an upcoming event, but they haven't disclosed anything to us yet." Miku shrugged. "How's Miu?"

Mikuo chuckled at the fact that Miku always seemed genuinely concerned on how his pet cat was doing, but he found it cute, to say the least - Miku had never had a pet of her own, after all. "He's doing fine, thanks."

She giggled. "And you?"

"Good, now that I'm with you."  
If he had still been drinking from his bottle, he probably would've choked on the water due to his choice of words. Though it wasn't far from the truth, that wasn't what he meant to say out loud at all. Mikuo quickly glanced to Miku to see if she had noticed, but even if she had misheard, the tinge of red on his cheeks would quickly help her confirm what he'd said. He quickly looked away again in fear of being called out on staring at her, instead choosing to focus on the bumps in the pavement and road.

Soft laughter from Miku made his face burn redder. "Okay," she said, seemingly amused by his answer. "I'll keep that in mind. By the way, are you free next Tuesday, after school?"

"Uh, Tuesday?" Mikuo wanted to look up towards her, but he didn't dare do so until he was completely sure he had cooled down and the red had faded from his cheeks, so he kept his head bowed, deliberately avoiding her gaze. "Hm... I don't have extra class on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so, yeah, I should be free."

"Okay! Great." Miku clapped her hands together excitedly. "You can just go straight home first to change and put your stuff away, and I'll meet up with you at the shopping district, okay?"

"Oh, uh, sure." Mikuo nodded, still a little dazed and tired from the long ride (and one fall, when he was trying to avoid a car that didn't seem to care about any cyclists), and trying to pay attention to what Miku was saying. "Tuesday at the shopping district."

"Yup. You okay?"

"Y-Yeah, just give me a minute." He said, still trying to catch his breath - now mostly out of embarrassment from what he had said, and that Miku may or may not have asked him out on a date - which she couldn't have - rather than cycling a couple kilometers over to meet her. Mikuo took a deep breath and managed, somewhat, to stand up straight again, leaning back against the railing and breathing out. "Sorry."

Miku was still smiling when he glanced over to her, and he wondered if she actually ever stopped smiling. Sure, there must have been times when she probably got upset at something or someone, but around him she always seemed to just be full of smiles and laughter all the time - not that they were together often. They both had their own schedules that more often than not clashed, ending up with them hardly being able to find the time to hang out, apart from the small time they spent together when they met up after school. In conclusion, Mikuo probably had never seen Miku genuinely upset, not counting the time when he had nearly hit her with a football when they were in kindergarten.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he spoke up again. "Anyway, um, I should head home. I have a ton of homework to finish."

"Yeah, same here." Miku laughed and picked up her bag, which she had set on the ground while waiting for him. Pushing a lock of hair away from her eyes, she looked over to Mikuo who had gotten on his bicycle again, one foot on the ground and ready to head off back home. "Alright. See you Monday, then."

He stopped and stared at Miku. "Monday?"

She giggled. "I mean, after school. It's the weekend. We're still going to see each other on Monday, right?"

"Oh," realization dawned on Mikuo as he chuckled nervously. "Yeah, yeah, of course. I totally forgot it was Friday. That's probably why I have so much homework."

"Well, don't forget about Tuesday." Miku said, laughing as well. She gave him another warm smile that sent his pulse racing, before waving and heading off. "See you, Mikuo!"

"Yeah, see you!" Mikuo remained where he was on his bicycle as he waved to Miku, not moving even as she had disappeared from his line of sight. His heartbeat was louder than the hum of traffic coming from the street below, as workers and other students were making their way home after a long day.

Quietly, he admitted to himself that he really was starting to fall in love.

...

With distractions of school, friends, and just generally being so caught up in the flood of work that kept on coming from the teachers, Mikuo completely forgot what the date was, and in turn, forgot about Tuesday. After serving detention for the second time that month, Mikuo found himself rushing to get to the crossroads, completely out of breath and drenched with sweat by the time he made it to where Miku should have been waiting for him - only to find that she wasn't there.

"What...?" Mikuo glanced down at his watch. 4.10 pm. That was much later than they usually met up, but Miku would always stay and wait for him until he arrived, unless she had somewhere else to go, in which case he would receive a message as school ended. He looked around and got off his bike, but Miku was nowhere to be seen.

"Weird. Wonder what's got her held up?" Mikuo sighed and sat down, cross-legged on the ground, leaning against the railing as he waited for Miku to show up, probably apologizing profusely. Even if she did, he would have forgiven her anyway. He couldn't even remember how many times he was the one that showed up late, shouting apologies even as he cycled up towards her, only to receive gentle laughter and forgiveness from Miku.

He sat quietly for about 10 minutes when it hit him.

"OH MY GOD! I WAS SUPPOSED TO MEET HER!" Yelling in frustration, he hopped back onto his bike and grabbed his backpack before zooming off downhill in direction of the shopping district, cursing under his breath as he weaved past cars and pedestrians.

He had no idea if he was breaking any traffic rules as a cyclist, but at the moment, he didn't care, he just had to get to where Miku was waiting for him, and then beg for forgiveness.

It was half past four when he finally made it to the shopping district, spotting Miku waiting by a cafe. Thank god, she was still there.

He quickly found a place to stop and keep his bike begate running up to her, nearly tripping and falling flat on his face in the middle of the road, and finally making his way to Miku, more exhausted than ever.

"Mikuo!" She gasped as he finally approached him, and she ran over to check on him. "Are you okay? Didn't you go back home?"

"N-No... Sorry, hold on." He held out a hand as he paused to catch his breath, breathing heavily as Miku nervously held onto him. After a while he finally managed to regain composure, glancing to where a sweet smell was coming from.

Whatever perfume Miku was using, he ended up being more awestruck by her casual clothes, for whatever reason - he almost never saw her in anything (ahem) but her school uniform, so to suddenly see Miku prettied up and in cute clothes with colors that matched her gentle yet lively mood, he almost had a heart attack. And then he suddenly felt embarrassed, not even being late, but also completely disheveled and more messy than when he had arrived at the crossroads.  
He continued to stare at her until she broke the silence, quickly prompting him to snap his mouth shut.

"Mikuo, what happened?"

"N,Nothing, sorry." He straightened his posture and his clothes, hoping it wasn't too obvious that he had been staring, wide-eyed and open-mouthed at her, although judging his luck it probably was. "I had detention, for, uh, reasons, and then I..." he took a breath, sighing, "I totally forgot I was supposed to meet you here. I was waiting at the crossroads for like, 10 minutes. I'm really, really sorry."

He bowed his head and looked away, silently waiting for the reprimanding that never came. Instead, he was shocked to find himself looking up back at the face of a smiling Miku, more amused than anything. "I... you're not mad at me?"

She looked at him for a moment more before stifling a peal of laughter. "Oh! Mikuo, it's alright, really! I'm not mad at you!" She paused again to recompose herself, continuing, "I already figured you'd be late, so I took my time getting here. I haven't even been waiting here that long. So really, Mikuo, it's okay."

Mikuo looked at her in astonishment, wondering what he could have done to deserve someone like Miku - she was so kind and forgiving he was starting to wonder if she even was a human - he'd have expected her to be mad at him, even at least a little irritated, but she had laughed it off like he hadn't made her wait for hours. Which she didn't, luckily. She knew him so well she prepared herself to be late.

"Oh...well, still, I'm sorry." He said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I'm such a mess, huh?"

"You are," Miku laughed as she led him back to the cafe. "C'mon, lets go sit down. You look exhausted."

Mikuo chuckled. "Yeah, sorry again. I just got super caught up in schoolwork I completely forgot what day it was."

"Even after I reminded you yesterday?"

"Yeah, because I have such great memory."

Miku giggled and they settled down to order. She shocked Mikuo again when she slid into the booth next to him instead of sitting opposite him, causing Mikuo to turn several shades of red as he felt her shoulder brush against his.

Not that he was complaining, though.

Miku reached over to grab a menu for the both of them. "What did you want?"

"Oh, uh, I'm fine with anything." He glanced at the menu as Miku flipped through it. "What are you getting?"

"Probably just a parfait or some crepes or something. Wanna share?"

He swallowed. This was seeming more and more like a date. "S-Sure."

Miku placed her order and Mikuo was starting to contemplate his existence. If it was a date Miku would have said so. She would have sat on the opposite end of the table so they could look at each other (although he was happy she was sitting next to him - they got to be closer, and he didn't have to look directly at her), and most importantly, he would've felt a hell lot more calmer knowing that his feelings were reciprocated. And yet - he could still feel his heart beating faster and louder than ever, drowning out the words Miku were trying to say.

He momentarily snapped out of it, looking over towards her. "I'm sorry?"

"You feeling okay?" She repeated, or at least he thought she repeated. He was really hoping she didn't think he didn't want to be here, what with him constantly losing focus.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He laughed nervously. Was it just him, or was Miku sitting closer to him than she could have? There was plenty of space in the booth, but... "Sorry, I'm just a little tired. Just got back from school and all."

"Ah." She nodded and looked back ahead of her, and Mikuo clenched his hands into fists, wondering why everything was so awkward suddenly. They'd been meeting up and talking to each other for years. Why was it the one time they were in a different setting he completely clammed up? Even Miku seemed rather tense and uneasy, as though she were struggling to find a way to break the awkward silence that surrounded them.

Without much thought, Mikuo blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"You interested in anyone?"

God, he wished he could have just jumped out the window right now.

Miku started and looked over at him, her face pink. "Huh?"

"S-Sorry! No, I-I didn't mean-" he held up his hands, panicked, "I just-!" Mikuo went on stammering some sort of excuse for blatantly asking her such a question, before the waitress arrived with Miku's parfait, allowing both of them to settle down and stare at the huge cup.

Mikuo tried again. "C-Can you finish all of that?"

Miku laughed nervously, both of them focusing on the ice-cream instead of looking at one another. "Probably not. That's why I was hoping you'd share."

"Oh, s-sure." Mikuo picked up the spoon and handed it to Miku, before realizing they had only been given one. "Ah, they only gave us one spoon."

"That's okay!" Miku said quickly. "We can share."

Mikuo swore he could have caught on fire if he blushed any harder. Miku, who always seemed happy and calm, suddenly looked fiercely embarrassed, still smiling but deliberately avoiding eye contact as she handed the spoon back to him.

"O-Oh, okay. Thank you." He took the spoon back and slowly tasted some of the parfait, hoping to cool down his cheeks with the coldness of the cream and strawberries. It was almost too sweet for him, but at least he didn't have to talk with his mouth full.

Taking another scoop, he paused when he realized he should probably offer it to Miku, and without thinking, held up the spoon in front of her. "Here."

"Ah," she glanced at it.

Both of them are very stupid.

Miku, without a second thought, decided the best thing to do, instead of taking the spoon from him, was to just eat out of it while Mikuo was holding onto it.

Mikuo turned completely red again as Miku practically ate out of his hand, and he nearly dropped the spoon, mouth agape. "Miku...!?"

She quickly reached for a napkin and dabbed her mouth as she pretended to be unable to talk with her mouth full.

Saying nothing as well, Mikuo continued to eat the parfait, and on went the silent cycle of Mikuo taking a scoop for himself, and then feeding the next to Miku, until all the ice-cream, strawberries, and cookie crumbs were gone. Neither had said anything while they ate, but halfway through the parfait both had began to relax a little, and Miku had begun to giggle every time Mikuo held out the spoon for her. Mikuo had chuckled nervously in response, still embarrassed, but by the time they were done eating both of them had more or less relaxed again.

"Wow, I can't believe we finished all of it." Mikuo laughed, placing the spoon into the now-empty cup. "That was a really big parfait. Is the rest of the food here this sweet?"

Miku grinned. "Yeah. I come here a lot, and I end up with a hole in my wallet 'cause of all the desserts."

"Seriously? Guess I have to come here more often to catch you gorging on some cake while you're on a diet."

She gasped. "Mikuo!" Miku tried not to laugh, but failed as she playfully pushed Mikuo away. "That's so mean! It's not like I come here everyday!"

"Haha, I'm just kidding." He chuckled again as Miku swatted him on the shoulder. "C'mon, I'll pay."

"Oh, no, it's okay." Miku stood up and began to fish through her bag. "I'll pay."

Mikuo shook his head as he began to head towards the counter. "No, really, I'll pay." He insisted, as Miku blocked his way, before sprinting to the counter. "Hey!"

Miku giggled and playfully shoved him out of the way as they headed over to the counter, Miku successfully being able to reach it first and slam their order in front of the cashier.

Mikuo glared at a grinning Miku as the cashier checked their order, but in the end they were both able to at least pay for their food evenly.

As they walked out of the cafe, Mikuo glanced over at Miku, who had now resumed a slightly less relaxed gait than before... she looked almost anxious, as though she were minutes away from a big exam, but that didn't seem to be the case. "So, what did you wanna do?"

"Um, I just wanted to go through the shopping district to get something."

"Okay," he looked around the area - there were a lot of couples about, and streamers and balloons everywhere. Was there a special event going on today, or something? "You can't get it at the convenience store?"

"No." Miku said quickly, suddenly coming to a halt in the middle of the street, nearly causing Mikuo to bump into her, but he was able to stop himself before they collided. "Mikuo, can you wait out here?"

He didn't think much of it. "Sure."

As Miku quickly headed into a nearby shop, Mikuo checked his watch. It was aroun 5 pm now - he'd have to head home in about an hour or so for dinner, and to get started on the pile of homework he'd been left...although he would willingly put that off to stay with Miku for as long as she wanted.

Mikuo sighed and put his hands in his pockets. No - as much as he liked Miku, he couldn't put her above his schoolwork. They'd find the time to hang out more often eventually.

Miku eventually returned, looking a bit more relaxed than she had been as she pulled her handbag over her shoulder. "Let's go."

Mikuo nodded and continued walking alongside her, both returning to their quiet state again. Mikuo was trying to think of something - anything - to say to break the silence, but his mind drew a blank. Of all the times he'd cycled to meet up with her after school, and even after they'd known each other for years - he realized he didn't know enough about Miku as he'd liked to. He knew she liked animals, despite never being able to own one for herself, and he knew she liked sweets, and singing. He hadn't even heard her sing before.

"Hey, Miku..."

"Yeah?"

"Last week you said your principal mentioned something about a school event?"

"Oh! That's right!" Miku stopped and turned to face him. "I totally forgot to tell you! Hold on-" she reached inside her handbag and fished out a flyer, handing it to him. "Our school's hosting a Spring Fair on the 25th March - that's next month, if you forget... on a Sunday. So, if you're free... you should come and visit."

"Oh, sure." Mikuo held up the flyer in from the of him, scanning through the brief list of events listed on it, until something caught his eye. "Hey, Miku. Your class is performing?"

She smiled shyly. "Y-Yeah. Everyone suggested I be the lead singer since... well, I like singing and all, and I thought... I mean, I don't think you've ever seen me perform and all - and it's gonna be my first time ever singing on stage - so I'd like you to be there."

"Of course!" He said quickly, and a little too enthusiastically, before quickly calming himself down, as he folded up the flyer and pocketed it. "I'll definitely remember. Save a seat for me, okay? Preferably in the front."

Miku giggled, and they continued walking again. "I'll try. But you have to be early."

"I will! What are you going to sing?"

"You'll have to be there and find out." Miku winked, and laughed as he playfully nudged her away. "It's just... I'd like you to be there for me."

Mikuo smiled back at her. "I will."  
He felt her hand brush against his, and then suddenly grab his wrist as Miku came to a stop again, quickly tugging him backwards as she spun around.

"Oh! The shop's over there!"

"Huh?" He didn't have a chance to protest before Miku dragged him into one of the stores, and he found himself surrounded by an explosion of pink - balloons, banners, streamers - he ducked underneath a wall of ribbons as Miku dragged him onwards, looking around at the mountains of chocolates on sale for display. Had he been terrible at remembering dates, he probably would have thought it was a surprise birthday party.

"Hey, what's with all the decoration anyway?" Mikuo mumbled as Miku went over to pick something up from a shelf. "Is there a special event or something?"

"Well, everything's on sale 'cause of-" Miku stopped, and looked up over at Mikuo. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

She stared at him incredulously. "Wait here."

"Oh, okay." Mikuo watched as Miku quickly headed off to the cashier, still confused. All the signs around him were pink or heart-shaped... was there really something happening today he wasn't aware of?

After a while Miku came back with plastic stuffed in her handbag, and dragged him back out the store without a word.

"Miku? What's up?" Mikuo frowned as he was dragged along, unable to pull his arm away from Miku's steel grip, as she led him towards a pathway adorned with fake cherry blossom trees, balloons, lanterns, and various small stalls selling sweet treats.

Miku parked him at one of the benches under the fake trees, slightly further away from where most of the busy shoppers were, flitting through the decorated street, taking photos and sampling candies.

Miku looked up at him. "You seriously don't remember what day it is?"

"Um... Tuesday?"

She looked like she wanted to scream. "The date?"

"I, I don't remember."

Miku sighed. "It's the 14th," she prompted, looking at him expectantly.

Mikuo looked back at her.

"Of...?"

"Of?" Mikuo frowned. "Um, February?"

They stared at each other for a while before Mikuo, after much too long, realized exactly why everything was pink and glittery and full of couples making out in random corners.

"You forgot!?" Miku sighed, exasperated, as she gestured to the decorations around them.

"I'm sorry!" Mikuo held up his hands defensively, giving her a nervous smile. "I totally forgot. You know I'm dumb, especially when it comes to remembering dates."

"No, no, it's just..." Miku took a deep breath, looking down at the handbag on her lap. "I thought you'd... that you'd finally, at least just... mention...!"

"Miku?" He leaned over towards her as she gesticulated randomly with her arm, fumbling for words. "What do you mean?"

"I wanted you to tell me you loved me!" She yelled, causing a sudden shift in the movement around them, passer-bys stopping to see what had happened, and the gentle murmur of small talk fading away. Miku hastily wiped her eyes. "Every year I told myself, okay, Mikuo would say it first. He'd confess to me first. I'll be patient, it's fine!" She threw up her arms and looked at him angrily, but it quickly faded into guilt, and then disappointment, and embarrassment. "But you didn't."

"Miku-" Mikuo began hesitantly, holding out a hand, but he was unsure of what to do. He was completely lost, shocked at Miku's sudden outburst, and struggling to cope with every word that was tumbling out of her mouth.

"I... I'm sorry," she said after a while. "I shouldn't have yelled at... Hold on." Miku dug through her handbag to pull out a small box of chocolates, neatly wrapped and handed it to him. "I made some for all of my friends, but these are for you."

"Oh... Thank you." Mikuo accepted the box and looked back up at Miku, still teary-eyed and pink from embarrassment, and he realized that despite her outburst, she had been waiting for a confession for years, meaning that... "wait, how long have you had a crush on me?"

She started, turning an even deeper shade of pink. "Mikuo!" She gasped, and then stammered, "s-since just before we got into high school. The last day we stopped at the bakery and you said, okay, on our way home from school, we'll meet up at the crossroads. I don't know why, but I thought it wouldn't work. But you cycled further than you needed to just to see me, and I just... I just really fell in love, throughout all those years, and I'd always get excited when I saw you cycling up towards me, and I was so happy that-"

"Miku!" Mikuo quickly grabbed a handkerchief from his pocket and began to dab at the tears forming in Miku's eyes, laughing softly. "I didn't say anything because I didn't think you felt the same way."

She held his hand to her face as he gently wiped away her tears. "You really are dumb..." she murmured. "This is a sucky confession. Sorry. It's not even beneath a real cherry blossom tree."

Mikuo snorted. "Seriously?"

"Come on!" She pushed his hand away, trying not to laugh as well. "Seriously! I wanted it to be done right! Although I guess this is close enough. It looks real, right?"

"Mhm." Mikuo glanced up at the sunlight filtered through the, albeit fake, branches and flowers of the cherry blossom trees around them, and back down to Miku, where the light casted an almost ethereal glow on her face. Seeing him look at her in awe, she smiled shyly, and her whole face lit up with a pure warmth he couldn't even begin to describe. "Miku...?"

"Y-Yeah?"

"May I kiss you...?"

Her eyes widened. "Huh?"  
Mikuo leaned forwards until he was leaning his forehead against hers. Miku had gasped softly and leaned back slightly, but didn't move away from him.

"I really do love you," he murmured, gauging her beauty, everything about her. "May I kiss you? Please. I.. I really want to."

Miku's shy smile returned as she gently pushed forwards so that they were even closer, taking his hands and placing them on her lap. "You never really struck me as the brave, romantic type." Miku said softly as she grinned. "I just thought you were shy, so I didn't really expect to - oh, sorry, I'm ruining it. Yes, you may."

Mikuo grinned as well and leaned forward until their lips met, and the kiss lingered for a while, until both of them parted, red-faced and averting eyes, but very, very happy.

"Thanks," Mikuo murmured, glad to just have Miku with him.

She giggled and moved over so that they were sitting next to each other properly, and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Next month, I want chocolate given to me under a real cherry blossom tree."

"Huh? Next month?"

"White Day, dummy."

"I know. Just kidding." He leaned over and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I love you, Miku."

"I love you, too."


End file.
